Ouachita to present All Night Theatre Festival March 9

Ouachita Baptist University’s Theta Alpha Phi chapter will host its 11th annual All Night Theatre: A 10-Minute Play Festival, on Saturday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. in Verser Theatre. Performances are free and open to the public.

The festival is run, written, directed and performed by students. Jordan Miller, a junior musical theatre major from Rockwall, Texas; Blaine Surber, a sophomore musical theatre major from Sulfur Springs, Texas; and Garrett Whitehead, a junior musical theatre major from Cleburne, Texas, make up the triumvirate of student producers in charge of the production.

“We work together to achieve a good experience for all involved,” Miller said. “We all sort of shine in different areas.”

“Every time this part of the year comes around, I get excited because the 10-Minute Play Festival is one of the most fun things the theatre department puts on,” Surber said.

Theta Alpha Phi national honor fraternity for theatre arts hosts the festival. All members are required to participate in the show in some capacity, whether it be writing, directing, performing, working backstage or ushering.

“We are really hoping more people from outside the theatre department come to participate,” Miller said.

The plays for the festival have yet to be chosen, as the deadline for submitting a play was Wednesday, Feb. 27. All submissions will be voted on by a panel of anonymous faculty, staff and students. They will pick their favorites, and the scores will be tallied by the triumvirate. The top five to seven plays will be performed.

For a play to be considered for the festival, it must be original, performable in 10 minutes or less, written in a dramatic format and be comprised of as few characters as possible. Students are allowed to submit more than one play and group authorships are permitted.

While the plays are being chosen, student directors will be also chosen. After the actors are chosen for each play, they have 24 hours to work on their show until curtain.

“It’s exciting to watch a cast, with scripts in their hands struggling through blocking, transform into a magical performance,” Whitehead said.

“There is such an adrenaline rush, throwing a show together in 24 hours,” Whitehead added. “You are literally rehearsing all night with students who have varied stage experience. You become a team. You are all striving for the same thing — to put on a show that is both presentable and entertaining.”

Auditions will be held on Thursday, March 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Verser Theatre. Students only have to show up to audition, as sides will be provided for them to perform.

For more information on the All Night Theatre Festival, contact Garrett Whitehead at whi50535@obu.edu.